1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to chew toys for domestic animals. In one aspect, the invention relates to a chew toy for dogs comprising a combination of rawhide and pigskin.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chew toys are well known for carnivorous domestic animals, such as dogs, who have an instinctive need to chew. Such toys frequently comprise rawhide formed into the shape of a bone or other shapes. The rawhide provides some degree of flavor and a texture that is appealing to the animal, thereby encouraging the animal to use the chew toy. The rawhide also provides a cleaning function to the animal's teeth and is thus desirable for the hygiene of the dog's teeth. An example of such a chew toy is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,045 to Fisher.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,653 to Sherrill, issued Oct. 7, 1997, discloses a combination of rawhide and jerky formed into a bone-shaped chew toy. The jerky comprises meat flavored with spices or marinade and smoked or otherwise dried, which improves the flavor and odor of the chew toy over the rawhide alone. However, meat is expensive, and the use of jerky made of meat adds significant cost and calories to the chew toy. In addition, jerky has fat calories that add to a dog's weight problems. The bone shaped chew toy can be used as a treat for a dog, thus addicting the dog to weight producing products. Furthermore, preparation of the jerky requires additional manufacturing steps, adding further cost to the chew toy. Moreover, jerky is substantially softer and less fibrous than rawhide and more readily consumed, thereby shortening the effective life of the chew toy.